Black women are facing a crisis that needs a voice. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are 3x more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their white counterparts. Even more tragically, most of these deaths are preventable. To begin to confront this disparity, Lincoln is elevating a much-needed conversation about maternal and reproductive health.
Maternal Health Matters
With a goal of creating safe space conversations centered around the importance of issues facing Black women, Angela Rye, the host of Lincoln Listens First, recently featured Angela Doyinsola Aina of Black Mamas Matter Alliance. This organization is a Black women-led cross-sectoral alliance dedicated to bringing Black mamas to the center to advocate, drive research, build power, and shift culture for Black maternal health, rights, and justice.
The two talked frankly about what “better” could mean for Black women. “Better looks like holistic care, bringing together a team-based approach to maternal and reproductive healthcare,” says Angela Doyinsola Aina. “Better looks like ensuring Black mommas and families have access to quality healthcare that treats them with dignity and respect, and values our lives.”
Link Arms for Black Mamas
The goals of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance are to cultivate research to help introduce and advance policy that addresses Black maternal health inequity and improves Black maternal health outcomes. Furthermore, they aim to reframe the conversation on Black maternal health and amplify the voices of Black mamas to explore, introduce, and enhance holistic and comprehensive approaches to care.
If you’re concerned about the health and well-being of Black women and girls
and share the vision of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, there’s your reason to get involved. Download their toolkit to identify the rights of pregnant and birthing parents, as well as the corresponding role of government to ensure safe and respectful maternal health care for all. “When you care for Black women, it benefits us all,” says Angela Doyinsola Aina. “We are the solution. We are the things we are seeking.”
To see how you can help, check out Black Mamas Matter Alliance and donate to this great cause. And to see more candid conversations about the health and wellness of Black women, watch Lincoln Listens First on Lincoln’s YouTube channel here.